Save Eternity for Me
by Ashura
Summary: Sequel to Niobe's Violets: The school is under Treize' control, but are they really safe there...?
1. O Brave New World

SAVE ETERNITY FOR ME

SAVE ETERNITY FOR ME

by Ashura Nagisa

DISCLAIMERS:Even if I save up my allowance for years, I will probably never own the characters of Gundam Wing.The story itself and all original characters are mine.It's a nice compromise, and in kindergarten I was taught to share my toys.

PAIRINGS:1x2, 3x4, DxR, HxC, 13x11, 6x9, 5+?

ARCHIVE:Desolation Angels (http://www.dreamwater.net/ashura)

NOTES:I know I wasn't going to do this, but that's because I didn't have any ideas before.I did say if I had a story then I'd write it, and there seems to be one after all.Anyone interested?*grin*All the usual credited influences, and apologies to Ruth's Demon, Arbaa, for traumatising him by using his name for past-life-Quatre.

"Save Eternity for Me" takes place about one year after the epilogue of Niobe's Violets (two years after the bulk of the story).Oz is in the hands of Treize and Une, and Romafeller has released almost entire control of the St. Gabriel School to Iria and the Winner Foundation.Even Wufei seems to have recovered from the battle and Sylvia's death, and at the age of ten, Mariemaya is coming into her own Power at last....

*****

O for that warning voice which he who saw

Th' Apocalypse heard cry in Heaven aloud, 

Then when the dragon, put to second rout, 

Came furious down to be revenged on men, 

_Woe to the inhabitants of Earth!_ that now,

While time was, our first parents had been warned

The coming of their secret foe....

...And of pure now purer air

meets his approach, and to the heart inspires

Vernal delight and joy, able to drive 

All sadness but despair.

--John Milton, 'Paradise Lost,' Book iv, 1-7, 153-5

****

[chapter one:O Brave New World]

"I don't see," Duo grumbled, gnawing irritably on the eraser-end of his pencil, "why we have to learn this stuff anyway.Someone please suggest to me a situation when, at any point in my future life, I may find it necessary to understand logarithms."

"Next Tuesday," Dorothy Catalonia responded dryly, glancing up from the paper covered with columns of her small, neat figures, "when Miss Noin tests you on it."

Duo flicked his pencil at her, but she caught it mid-flight, her face contorting with disgust at the drool now coating her fingers."That is /gross/.Like I want your mouth-germs--save 'em for Heero.Now do you want my help with this or not?"

"I do!"chirped Hilde Schbeiker, who had been releasing frustration by banging her head repeatedly on her desk."I'll never understand this, not in a million years.Dorothy, what's 36.19 to the power of -4?"

"One over one million, seven hundred fifteen thousand, three hundred fifty-six point two-six," Dorothy answered automatically with a smug wink."Now figure it out yourself, it doesn't do any good unless you know how to get there."

"I hate you," Hilde growled, bending her head over her paper again.

Dorothy shrugged."I know.But the only way you'll get rid of me is to work the problem out so I can see you understand it.Then I get to go replenish the dwindling levels of caffeine in my bloodstream and leave you alone."

Duo sighed and let his head thump forehead-first onto the desk.All banter aside, raw academics was not his strongest point."If that's the case, Dorothy, you're never leaving.Because I look down at these numbers and all I see is gibberish.I /don't/ understand it, and I'm not likely to...Christ, I only made it through the seventh grade!"

A frown tugged the corners of Dorothy's lips downward as she leaned over his shoulder."I know, Duo, but you've caught up so fast in everything else...."She touched his shoulder reassuringly as she sank into the plain wooden chair next to him."Look, I'll talk to Miss Noin--maybe we can find you a private tutor or something."

He arched an eyebrow, distrust clear in his violet eyes."You mean from the outside?To come in here?Oh, /that's/ likely.That Miss Noin's going to want to breach security so I can learn advanced algebra."

Dorothy shrugged, twisting a long strand of silky blonde hair in manicured fingers."Hey, it's the best I can do.I'm not helping you, obviously--I may have a calculator for a brain, but I'm the first to admit I'm a lousy teacher."

Duo favoured her with his most winning smile--the one that made Heero melt, and everyone else sigh and say 'whatdo you want this time?'"Does that mean I can go?"

She rolled her eyes."Sure, why not, get lost."

Duo tossed his notebooks haphazardly into his bag, and from the rustle of papers across the aisle, Hilde was doing the same.

  
"Ah--not you!"The dark-haired girl found herself pushed forcibly back into her chair, though the corners of Dorothy's mouth were twitching with barely-contained laughter."You stay here and finish that problem; I /know/ you had exactly the same schooling I did."

"Thbbbbbt."Hilde blew a raspberry at her blonde captor, but waved cheerfully enough to Duo, then nudged the dozing, fur-covered form at her feet."Hey--would you take Jasper with you?He's been cooped up in here long enough."

Duo nodded."Sure."At the mention of his name, Jasper raised his head and gazed mournfully up at Hilde.He was hot, and bored, and despite his unwavering loyalty to his mistress, he KNEW there was a yard outside full of grass and holes and sticks and small furry creatures to chase.

He was a Siberian Husky pup, grey-coated and silver-eyed, and he had first arrived at the St. Gabriel Institute as a seventeenth birthday present for Quatre.Unfortunately, Quatre discovered shortly thereafter that he was exceedingly allergic to his new canine friend.So Jasper had found a new home with Hilde, who adored him.She was convinced--and had somehow converted Trowa to her cause--that both she and the puppy had discovered their true calling, and that it involved building a dogsled in the garage in her spare hours.

"But there isn't any snow here," Cathy had reminded her incredulously."It /never/ snows here!"

Hilde just shrugged."So we'll put wheels on it.Besides, I don't intend to stay here forever, and it snows backwhere I come from."

Cathy had grumbled something uncomplimentary about both her girlfriend and her brother, and stalked off to practice throwing knives at people.

That was another thing that had changed in the almost-two-years Duo had been at the school.Cathy had finally loosened up enough to work with someone other than Trowa--much to Hilde's delight,when at last she had been allowed to play living target to her girlfriend's dagger act.Duo had never felt the need himself; he was never that crazy about putting himself in physical danger, but he supposed if he'd had Hilde's ability to regenerate, he might not have minded.

He whistled to Jasper and escaped the classroom.The puppy's tongue hung out of his mouth as he trotted along at Duo's heels, excited at the prospect of Playing Outside.

"How'd you get out early?I thought you had a study session."The warm voice that preceded its owner from behind him in the hallway sent a warm flush through all Duo's skin.He couldn't imagine a time when it might /not/ so affect him, and he slowed to wait for Heero to catch up to him.

"Bribed the jailer," he answered pertly, with a suggestive wink that made Heero look uncertain whether he should laugh or tackle him.

He decided just to shoot back."/Ew/.Anything you touched Dorothy with, /I/ refuse to touch until it's washed."

Duo made a face at him."Funny, that's what she said about you," he retorted, twining his fingers loosely around his lover's."But then Jasper looked all cute at her, and she told him to take him outside.Well, and something about getting me a tutor."

Heero looked startled."You're doing that badly?"

The long-haired boy shrugged, nonchalant."What do you expect?Like I just got through telling Dorothy, I missed some vital years of schooling while I was living in shelters.I'm working as hard as I can, but math isn't my subject.I'm having trouble catching up."

"I could help you, if you want.I have time."Nibbling awkwardly on his lower lip, his head cocked to one side so his unruly dark hair fell in his face, Heero looked utterly /un/like any kind of supernatural entity at all, and Duo found himself reaching behind his boyfriend's shoulderblades to rub the slight, telltale protrusion of hidden wings.

Heero winced."Ow!Don't do that--sunburn!"

"Sorry."He blushed--he had forgotten about the 'affliction,' but it had been easily his fault as much as Heero's.They had fallen asleep together in the garden, and the seraph--who had been lying on top of Duo, after all--had emerged from the encounter with bright pink and very sore skin.

"Salright."Heero claimed his lover's hand once more."Anyway I was looking for you...wanted to tell you I found those books you were looking for in the library.Although--I wish you wouldn't spend so much time on that.Especially if you're that behind in math."

"Oh, for--don't you start lecturing me too!"Duo snapped, before a long sigh slipped from his lips unbidden and he slung his bag higher on his shoulder, so he could reach his unclaimed hand down to scratch Jasper lightly behind the ears."Let me guess," he asked the dog."You'll be next?"

Heero's voice took on an element of firmness, but a hint of sorrow still hung there as well, unacknowledged and immortal."You know that's not what I'm trying to do.But--researching demons?I understand the urge, but Dekim's in the past.Duo, we finally /have/ a future together.I've waited for this for centuries, can you really blame me if I don't want to spend it all dwelling on things that are finished?"

It was an old, tired argument, and one of the few they ever had, and Duo had his next lines memorised as surely as if they had been scripted."And I've told you before...how do I know he's really gone?Do you blame /me/ for wondering that?And for worrying that as soon as I really do start to enjoy this future with you, that he or something like him is going to appear out of the woodwork and try to ruin it all again?"

"And you know that's why I'm helping you."Heero's response was as instinctive and repetitive as Duo's, and they walked in silence for a few paces as he stared down in defeat at the floor.

Jasper nudged Duo's knee pointedly, and he sighed, lifting their joined hands to touch Heero's fingers briefly to his lips."I love you."A moment's nibbling on his lip and he added at last:"I'll spend less time with the demon books and more with you.I'd rather do that anyway.So will you not get after me about it anymore?"

Heero nodded, trying not to look upset--and, to anyone's eye but Duo's, probably succeeding.The seraph had a tendency to be oversensitive to even small arguments, which almost always left Duo guilt-stricken afterward."It's fair.I love you too."He clung to the words, as well, every time either one spoke them--it amased Duo, sometimes, that his lover was the one who seemed eternally insecure.

"Good, that's over with," he said, leaning over to plant a kiss on the other boy's cheek."C'mon, let's go outside and play with the dog before Hilde gets done and wants him back."

****

"Duo!Heero!"Nearly bowled over by a projectile with feathery red hair, Duo somehow managed to catch Mariemaya before both of them went tumbling onto the floor.He swung her around--it helped with halting the momentum--and tried unsuccessfully to set her back down on the floor.

Hanging from around his neck like a very heavy, girl-shaped necklace, she beamed up at him, wrinkling her nose."You have grass in your hair."

"Yeah, well, I was rolling around in it, okay?We took Jasper for a walk," he added at Heero's bemused--and deceptively innocent--expression."Now leggo, you're getting heavy."

She pouted, but dropped to the ground."I'm bored.Nobody'll do anything with me, they're all watching TV or playing that dumb game, and they won't let me play with them!"

"Ah."Both the boys knew just the game she meant.One of Quatre's other birthday presents had been a computer strategy game called "Dictator," and he, Dorothy and Wufei had engaged in a tournament almost immediately.It took up every spare minute, and they'd been observed hurrying through meals and turning in half-finished homework in order to spend more time with their game.Considering, it wasn't really surprising that a neglected Trowa had turned to dogsled-building with Hilde. Mariemaya had suggested more than once that she could give them a run for their money, but so far her challenge had gone unanswered.

Duo was about to promise Mariemaya he'd keep her entertained, when Heero's hand on his arm drew him into the rec room where the others--even the World Domination Triumvirate--were scattered around the television."I think this is important," he said worriedly."Look."

"What--oh!"Almost immediately he realised what had captured his lover's and classmates' attention.On the screen, a news programme showed a crowd of people marching and waving graffiti-painted signs over their heads.While impossible to make out the complete wording of the signs, one title stood out amid all the others.

Newtype.

"It's new legislation," Quatre explained, patting the spot next to him as he scooted over to make room on the sofa.The Siren's family had legally adopted Duo a year previous, and was now the closest thing he had to a brother."They want to lock up everybody who's a little more than human so they can take us apart and figure out how we work."

"It gets better," inserted Wufei irritably."The people you see marching around like idiots on the TV are opposed to the last bit, but seem to agree that anyone with so-called 'newtype abilities' be registered so the government can keep track of them.They just think--and rightly so, might I add--that GeneTech and the rest shouldn't go around building kids just so they can study them."

Quatre nodded."Honestly, I think we're classified enough that even if this makes it through, nobody's going to come after /us/.I just--well, it's a lot of publicity, none of it good.And it's such a horrible thing they do--engineering children for their test subjects...."

"Now c'mon, Quatre...that could just be their bad publicity too," Trowa interrupted from the floor at the Siren's feet, but it was plain he didn't really believe his own words.After all, they had all spent years with GeneTech's notorious scientists as their own private version of the boogeyman.

"I say we blow 'em all up," Mariemaya said fiercely.All eyes turned to her, startled--she was huddled a bit closer to Duo than before, hunched forward with her fingers clenched and her bright blue eyes narrowed to slits."That'd take care of 'em once and for all."

Quatre coughed delicately."It wouldn't, actually.Get rid of a few stupid people, Mariemaya, and somehow there are always a few thousand more to take their place."His tone was orchestrated to be soothing, to lighten the mood, and the child relaxed visibly.

"I guess so.But if anybody ever tries to take any of you away, they're gonna have to deal with ME!"she declared firmly.

Several pairs of eyes traded glances that varied from proprietary, amused or surprised by turns."Yeah, okay," said Duo after a moment."Believe me, you can have first dibs on anybody stupid enough to try and split us up, I promise."

"You better believe it," Mariemaya growled.

****

For most of the night, Duo had no thoughts to spare for the Newtypes and the politicians now responsible for their fate.He had plenty to be distracted by, after all--evidenced by the damp sheen of sweat that coated his skin, his tangled hair, and Heero's slow rhythmic breathing in his ear.His lover's arm wrapped loose around his shoulders, and the air in Duo's small room still hung thick with the scent of sex.

He nuzzled into Heero's chest, letting the steady pulse of the other's heartbeat thump soothingly against his cheek.He still marveled, sometimes, at how his life had changed so much in such a short time.He'd been an orphan, a half-starved, scrawny streetrat consistently getting into trouble, shifted from shelter to shelter until even that meagre security ran out.And then, one day, he'd accidentally killed someone--and it had turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to him.He felt guilty about it sometimes, but it really had been an accident, and self-defense at that--it had also been the catalyst which had brought him to the attention of one Dr. Iria Winner, one of the few people not employed by the St. Gabriel Institute that knew of its existence.

And what should have been a terrifying experience had been instead an incredible one.Oh, parts of it had been horrid; he'd been attacked by a demon and felt his friend, and in some ways mother, die in his arms.But he had also found Heero, and Hilde, and the rest of his classmates, and he'd found a brother in Quatre--which, in the most fabulous twist of irony he could have imagined, also made him a member of the third richest family on the entire planet.

Fate had a truly strange sense of humour.

His own breathing eased and slowed, and he let his eyes drift closed, til the entire world consisted of no more than Heero's warm skin against his own.Even that slim consciousness faded slowly, coaxing him into sleep, wrapping him in the memory of his lover's arms and feather-strewn wings.

//Listen.//

The voice was not his own, nor was it familiar--it was soft, the light alto of a girl, or a boy whose voice hasn't yet changed, and it echoed slightly as if the speaker were not completely real.

//Listen,// it whispered again.//Events are in motion, and spiraling fast out of control.You must watch, and when the time is right, you must come to me.//

And some part of Duo's subconscious mind answered. //Where are you?//

A flicker of light like a smile, sad and soft.

//You'll find me,// it promised.

****


	2. Come With a Thought

SAVE ETERNITY FOR ME

[chapter two:come with a thought]

Sunlight filtered through the crack between the calico curtains shading Duo's window, creeping inexorably toward his eyelids.The eastward window was sometimes the only reason the boy woke up in the morning at all, unless his lover or section-mate took it on themselves to rouse him and drag him--often forcibly, by the hair--out of bed.

But there were other mornings--weekend days, like this one--when the last few moments of sleep were more precious than ever.It was that transition between the dreamworld and the waking one, when fragments of Duo's past life seemed tangible enough to touch, and the warm circle of Heero's arms around him promised all of eternity and, if it were possible, even more.

The profound contentment he woke up feeling, on those days, was stronger than any drug.

This was one such morning.He drifted into consciousness lazily, cherishing the fading memory of colourful seraph wings.He seldom saw them now.It hurt Heero to use them; they were furled and well-hidden beneath his skin, belied only by the slight, bony protrusion between his shoulderblades.To open them required near-heroic effort on Heero's part, forcing the muscles to burst free of his skin.Duo well remembered cleaning his lover's back after the first time, washing the blood from feathers and sinew and skin...there had been so much blood all over everything that day.

But in sleep, Heero looked very little like an avenging angel and very much like a beautiful--in Duo's admittedly biased opinion--and human young man.It was then that the shadows of doubt lifted from his face, that the tension eased his smooth visage into a real semblance of peace.If he had dreams of his own, he did not share them with his lover, and Duo never asked.His own were troubling enough.

Like the child.He wondered sometimes if he should share that one with Heero--it seemed important somehow, that whispered admonition of "find me," the warnings of trouble ahead.But whenever he meant to, he hesitated long enough to change his mind.Heero was easily worried, their repetitive discussion about Duo's research on demons was proof of that.

When he had a better understanding of what the dream meant, then he would tell his lover.In the meantime, he would in bed, warm and comfortable, and enjoy the fact that he could legitimately spend the entire morning wrapped in the other boy's arms.

As if in answer to that very thought, a kiss brushed tenderly across his temple."Good morning, love."

Duo nuzzled into his chest with a kiss of his own."Not morning...you're imagining things."

"No," Heero contradicted calmly, "I'm not.It's morning.And I /know/ I'm not imagining any of this," he added, abruptly shifting his weight and rolling them both over to pin Duo beneath him."I couldn't be," he continued, pausing his explanation to make a concerted attempt to swallow his boyfriend's tonsils."If I were imagining you, I'd leave out the morning breath."

Duo sputtered, pushing at him ineffectually.He may have grown into a slight advantage of size, but Heero was the one with inhuman strength in those delicate limbs."/You/ kissed /me/, remember?Which you won't ever do again if you're going to complain about it!"

Heero blinked at him innocently."Of course I will," he countered, before his mouth cut off any attempt Duo might have made at responding.

The not-so-subtle sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them, and a blush suffused Heero's face as he twisted, still hovering atop Duo, to shoot a glare at the intruder.It was, as always, hopelessly ineffective.Hilde Schbeiker was not one to be put off by a mere Glare of Death.

"Much as I hate tointerrupt you boys--and do believe me, 'cause I would /love/ to stand here and watch you do that all morning--Mr. Treize wants to know if you're going into town with us today."Duo's section-mate leaned casually against the doorframe of his room, her arms folded across her chest, showing off her petite body to full advantage in a sapphire tank-top and cutoffs that only barely qualified as clothing.She had declared the summer too hot for her favourite raspberry beret--bought, she'd told them once, at a secondhand store just like in the old Prince song--and instead had Catherine help her streak her hair with bands of glittery violet.She was still trying to convince Duo to do the same.

"Hilde," said Heero patiently, making sure both boys were covered in at least the most strategic places by Duo's summer blanket, "do you mind?We're naked."

The girl licked her lips in melodramatic lasciviousness."Don't I know it!"she laughed."I have to enjoy the view while I have it, you know.I keep telling Duo that section-mates share /everything/, but he just doesn't believe me."

Heero narrowed his eyes and growled at her.Hilde just laughed.

"Come on...honestly.A yes or no will suffice just fine--are you coming to town or staying in bed to have sex all morning?"

Heero and Duo locked eyes.Oh, the decisions, the decisions...

"Town," they said at once.Sex was wonderful, but since they lived in the same building, they weren't exactly lacking in opportunity.Trips to town, for the students of the St. Gabriel Institute, were few and far between, and it had taken weeks of alternately begging, conniving, whining and threatening (not that threatening Treize Khushrenada did any more than entertain him thoroughly) for the sequestered teens to convince him a vacation day was in order.

"Good," Hilde said with an approving nod."I'd think there was something seriously wrong with you, otherwise.So hurry up and get ready to go."

"We will," said Duo patiently, "as soon as you go away.We're not putting on a show for you, Hilde."

"Hmph.You're no fun," she pouted, rolling her eyes, but flashed the boys a grin as she darted out the door.

****

"You know," Duo remarked through his mouthful of cheeseburger, "I used to eat these out of dumpsters."

"That's disgusting," said Wufei flatly."Almost as bad as talking with your mouth full so I get to watch you chew it."

"Sorry," Duo mumbled, though he didn't sound very.

The students had just spend the past several successful hours on a self-imposed Treasure Hunt.They'd eschewed the mall in favour of a downtown row of artsy boutiques and antique stores--half were full of overpriced objects d'arte, the other half a conglomeration of junk.Dorothy and Relena had vanished almost immediately, promising to meet up with them again later in the afternoon.Trowa and Hilde found a set of runners for their dogsled and now faced the prospect of carrying them for the rest of the afternoon.Wufei had found a dusty sword in the corner of one shop that had captured his rapt attention for ten full minutes; reluctantly he had put it aside as too expensive, but Quatre and Trowa had exchanged meaningful looks and not too long later the Siren had gone mysteriously missing.Looking for a restroom, he said.It was plausible.Catherine had to stop and poke through any collection of shiny, glittery objects she could find, and had acquired a collection throughout the day of small bits of costume jewelry that caught her eye.

Duo reached up to touch his ear for probably the fourth time in as many minutes and fiddle tentatively with the small silver stud now gracing the lobe.It had been a spontaneous decision--he had money now, as Iria's ward, and no real idea of what to do with it.It was Trowa's idea-Trowa, whose small chrome hoop had decourated his own ear since he was eleven, and he continued to wear as a testament to the family who had not survived.Heero, while stating his support for whatever decision Duo made, had seemed utterly entranced with the idea...so a few minutes later there was Duo, trying not to hold his breath while a lisping blonde man held a needle gun to his earlobe.

It was over in seconds, and after the initial burning sensation had faded, he found himself reaching up to remind himself it was still there.

Heero noticed."I like it," he whispered reassuringly, with a suggestive twist of his lips that made Duo both intensely glad he'd decided in favour of the ornament, and a bit disappointed that he'd have to wait until nightfall to take advantage of the situation.

"So do I," Hilde added, imitating Heero's smirk and then wiping her face into blank innocence.She was expert at the expression, but her friends knew better than to fall for it.

"Mm...me too," Quatre agreed, though he seemed less interested in Duo's earring than in threading his tongue through Trowa's.

"Spare me," Wufei interrupted dryly."I'm already subjected to this toothache-inflicting sweetness out of the lot of you twenty-four hours a day.We're in public--can't you at least make an effort?"

"Awwwwww...."Hilde leaned across their picnic table to give the firestarter's shoulder a playfully condescending pat."Feeling a bit left out and lonely, Fei-fei...?"

Though the years had strengthened Wufei's armour against Hilde's teasing, he stiffened under her touch and jerked away."I'm surprised and disappointed," he said flatly, "that it would take so long for you to notice."

Repentance flooded the girl's pert face--her teasing was frequently merciless, but there was never any cruelty to it, and she hated the thought that she had caused any real pain."I'm sorry, 'Fei, really I am.We'll be good for the rest of the day--won't we?"

"Don't be silly."He pushed himself up from the table, as if he needed only to put some distance between the happy couples and himself."Do what makes you happy.Truly.I'll get over it."The smile he gave them wasweak but genuine."Some days around you people get lonelier than others, that's all."

"Maybe we should all find something else to do," Trowa suggested softly.

The words had barely left his lips before Catherine had picked up the thought--they had left behind the habit of speaking at the same time, but the telepathy between the twins was closer than ever."We could go see a movie," she offered."There was a Minako Takawa action flick playing at that place on the corner."

"Oh, joy," Wufei said deadpan, rejoining them at the table."Then I can listen to you all make out in the movie theatre.No, thanks."

Cathy shrugged."I lust after Minako just as much as you do, I promise I wouldn't take my eyes off the screen."

"Hey!"Hilde thwapped her girlfriend's arm petulantly."What do you mean you're lusting after an action-movie actress?Just because she can do that spinning-kick-thing!Hell, Trowa can do every move she can--"

"Hilde," the doppelganger interrupted quickly, before she could do any real damage to his good name, "are you suggesting /you/ don't lust after everything with legs?"

The dark-haired sprite pouted."Well...."

"You should have heard her this morning when she came to wake up me and Duo," Heero interjected helpfully.

Trowa nodded smugly and helped himself to one of her French fries."That's what I thought."

But any further conversation they might have had on loneliness, lust, or the attractiveness of a particular Japanese actress were impeded by a shout in their direction.

"Guys!"Dorothy and Relena hurried toward them, the latter's wrist circled firmly by the taller girl's hand."We have to get back," Dorothy said wearily."Remember those people we saw protesting on TV?There's a big march starting down by the river.Miss Noin thinks we should cut things short and get back to the school."

They scrambled.If it had been Mr. Treize who issued the command, it would have been merely a precaution.But Lucrezia Noin was a clairvoyant, and if she felt it so necessary to leave that she would send Dorothy to hunt for them, then it was in their best interest to make their departure urgent.

"Well," Hilde sighed, tossing the last of her fries into the trash bin, "time for the freaks to head back into exile."

Catherine, who never seemed to mind being one of the freaks, just draped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

****


	3. Fortune

Save Eternity for Me

Save Eternity for Me

Enter a new character this chapter...and no, it's not for what you think.Like I'd set things up to be /that/ obvious....

****

[chapter three:fortune's star]

"We're back in the dark ages," Catherine grumbled irritably, preceding the solid thunk of a knife into the wall above the television set."What's next, burning people at the stake?"

Dorothy, sprawled in an easy chair in the corner of the lounge, glanced up from reading her well-worn copy of /The Prince/."Never underestimate the power of large unruly groups of stupid people," she advised sagely.

"We shouldn't have left."That came from Quatre, his voice soft and sorrow-tainted."We could have stopped them."

"Are you crazy?" snapped Hilde."That's why Miss Noin told us to come back--because we /couldn't/ stop them, we'd have just gotten into trouble too."

"I could have stopped them!"Quatre repeated more firmly.

Trowa, stretched out on the floor at his sister's feet, reached out to touch his boyfriend's hand gently."Probably.But you could have made things a lot worse, too, love...using your power on them?You wouldn't want to put the whole school in danger.Trust Miss Noin."

Quatre subsided, but reluctantly.The topic of discussion was a report on the news--the demonstration they had fled from in the city the day before had ended with a riot, and an old woman who told fortunes in the park had been beaten and finally hospitalised.

"She read cards there for twenty years," Heero observed irritably."Nobody'd ever even heard of Newtypes then, how was she supposed to be one?"His arms tightened around Duo's waist; they were spooned together on one end of the sofa.Wufei grumbled something that sounded like agreement, but he too was bent over a book, only pausing periodically to push his reading glasses up when they slipped down his nose.

"There's something strange going on, that's why."None of them had noticed Mariemaya arrive, but she was there now, lounging casually against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest, her brow furrowed thoughtfully."There's got to be a reason for it.Somebody wants to get the public all worked up and scared."

"But why would people /listen/ to that poisonous crap?" Catherine demanded.Her dagger his the wall and clattered to the floor--she'd thrown it so many times its edge was dulling. "They should know better!"

"That's how politics works," Mariemaya explained patiently."Trust me, I lived around itfor a long time.Unc--Dekim and the others--they used to only let things leak when they wanted to cause controversy.The politicians don't even have to tell people what to think, really--they just bring the issue up, and there are always loud people ready to do the hard work for them."

"She's right," Quatre admitted.

"I'm stuck on their motivation," Wufei said without looking up from his book."GeneTech wants to continue its experiments, right?Which nobody agrees with--wouldn't it be better for them to keep things quiet?"

"Maybe...."Dorothy let /The Prince/ drop into her lap and looked up thoughtfully."So maybe instead it's someone opposing GeneTech.Or...they have some other motive we can't figure out in the space of five minutes."

Quatre, Wufei and Dorothy looked up, and locked eyes.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?" Quatre asked, his eyes glittering evilly.

"I think so, Brain," Dorothy replied, "but how are we going to fit in the dogsled?"

Cathy let out an incredulous laugh."Don't tell me you're going to take on GeneTech--"

Dorothy shrugged."If we have to.Hey, everybody needs a project."

"I'm going to help," said Mariemaya, in a polite but allow-no-opposition tone that made it very clear whose daughter she was.

"Aww...."Cathy twirled her now-dull knife on her fingertip."If you're all doing that, while my brother and girlfriend are building that stupid sled and Heero and Duo are off in Lover-Land, what the hell am I going to do around here?"

"Try to take over the world," Wufei responded, deadpan.The dagger sailed past his ear.

****

An explosion burst into being at the corner of Duo's vision.The core of the earth shook beneath him, and tall stone buildings that looked as though they had stood for centuries toppled into wreckage around him.He ducked, covering his face from falling debris, coughing the smoke from his lungs to call--"Heero!"

No answer came.Black streaks of ash rained from the sky, searing his skin and melting his pores wherever it touched.His shirt already hung in tatters from his shoulders, his jeans were torn and only his favourite, everpresent combat boots seemed likely to survive this encounter.

"Heero!"

He ran, displacing the toxic soot with each pounding step, ducking into deserted alleys and between dilapidated buildings.Some of them he recognised from years on the street, some were completely new, and still others he thought he'd seen in postcards and history books.None were spared from the devastation.

Still there was no sign of Heero, or for that matter any other living creature.//Where the hell is everybody?//

And suddenly, unexpectedly, an answer.//Hell is very accurate, actually.//

He spun, scanning the shadows for signs of this speaker whose voice echoed in his mind.//Come out!Who are you?What the fuck is going on?//

//Which do you want first?// it replied.The shadows shifted, the grey light shimmering in front of him.

It formed into a--boy?Girl?To be honest Duo couldn't really tell.Either way it was barely adolescent, all sharp bony lines and rough angles.A tousled mop of shaggy silvery hair fell in its bright gold eyes, and its costume of jeans and a worn grey t-shirt was almost as tattered as Duo's.

"Wanna get outta here?" it asked, reaching out a hand toward Duo.

Duo eyed the child and the hand suspiciously."And go where?"

A shrug."Back to the ether'd be my guess.It's your dreamscape, not mine.You have a real thing for mass destruction, you know that?"

Duo stared at him--her--it--in disbelief."/What/?"

It sighed."You.Have.A Thing.For stuff blowing up.I'm sure it's not healthy."

Duo blinked."If this is my dream, are you here for a reason?"

The golden eyes narrowed to an exasperated glare."Right now, to get you out of this--unless you /like/ wandering around in the apocalypse.So make up your mind already, are you coming or not?"

//If it's only a dream anyway--// Duo reached for the outstretched hand.

****

"Heero!"

The seraph blinked awake, the frantic sound of his name on his lover's lips startling him into consciousness.But after a moment's confusion, he realised quickly there was no real, immediate danger.Duo was still cradled against his side, his hair loose and tangled, his eyelids sticky with sleep.

"Heero!" he called again, more desperate this time.

Heero shifted, tightening his arms around the other boy's body and pressing a kiss to the curve of his neck."It's a dream, Duo," he whispered gently."You can tell me about it in the morning...."

****

//It's more comfortable here.//It may have been a question, a request for confirmation, or it may have only been an observation on the part of the dream-child, Duo wasn't really sure.The city of destruction was gone, and he was surrounded now only by mist, a soft, comforting silver fog where he floated, silent and insubstantial.

//This is how you came to me before,// he observed.He felt, more than heard, the other's affirmation.

//Yes.It's easier than going into your real dreams.//

That surprised him.//Then you're not a figment of my dream--what are you?A spirit?//

//No,// it answered, almost laughing.//I'm as real as you are.And I'm going to need your help soon.//

//Is that it?//demanded Duo.//Soon?Is there a reason you're here tonight?//

//There was,// it replied.//I needed to know something, and I've already learned it.//

Duo started to feel used, and made no attempt to hide it.//Glad to be useful to you.//

//Don't be like that.//The voice sounded hurt, and tired, and sad.//I wouldn't be asking you for help, you know, if I wasn't desperate, and I'm trying not to get you involved til I absolutely have to....It's just that you're my only hope.//

****

Duo hated mornings.

Normally he felt a bit better about them if he woke up next to Heero, which only rarely happened on school nights.This particularly Monday morning, not even that was good enough to keep him from feeling over-tired and grumpy.His dreams had not left him rested, and apparently it had rained during the night--never mind the thermometre had been reading more than ninety for almost a month.

He sat up, shaking off the wet blankets, and Heero stirred next to him."Is it morning...?"

"Fraid so."Duo kicked the blankets completely off and flopped back down onto the bed."Think Miss Une will believe me if I say I'm sick?"

"Riiiight."Heero rolled onto his side, propping his head up by one bent elbow."Duo--what were you dreaming about last night?"

Violet eyes shot wide, still glazed from their slow transition from sleep."What--why?"

His reaction made Heero, if anything, more troubled."You called my name is all...are you all right?"

Duo forced his expression bland again--not difficult, since he was barely conscious already."Fine, yeah.Just a bad dream...no, nothing about /that/, so you can stop looking worried, Heero.No past lives, just my fucked-up subconscious."

It wasn't entirely true, but Duo could not explain, even to himself, why he was so reluctant to share the dreamchild's warning with his lover.//Maybe I'm over-analysing, and I really just don't want to worry him.Yeah, whatever.//He rolled out of bed, fumbling for the nearest rumpled heap of more-or-less-clean clothes.

Heero glared fiercely at the clock."I'm buying you an alarm clock.I am.I'll see you in class, Duo, I've got to race back to my room and get my books.And dressed."

His only answer was a sleepy, irritated grunt.

****

Panting for breath, Duo skidded in the classroom door barely two steps ahead of Miss Une and virtually throwing himself into his desk.Normally she was annoyed by his perpetual tardiness, but this morning he saw a smile quirk the corners of her mouth.

"I appreciate your efforts getting here, Duo, really I do.But you're not going to be in this class today."

He stared up at her, waiting for this information to register."I'm not."

She shook her head."Not this time.I'm to send you down to Mr. Treize' office as soon as I see you.So now I've seen you, why don't you catch your breath and head down there now?"

She had a way of wording things that /sounded/ like a question, but really wasn't.So tired, miserable, and now curious, Duo gathered up his books and trudged down the long hallway to Treize Khushrenada's office.

He expected, when he opened the door, to see Treize.He would; it was the headmaster's office after all.

But the girl standing in the centre of the immaculate study bore no resemblance to the Khushrenada warlock whatsoever.For one thing--no, more than one thing--she was at least part Chinese, and female, and couldn't be too far from Duo's age.For another thing....

Her hair was tied up in a loose, scraggly bun at the nape of her neck, held in place by a pencil stuck through the hasty knot.Streaks of vivid purple were painted through it, dangling around her delicate, glitter-painted face in loose strands and half-finished braids.Her black t-shirt, advertising some rock band called Antisocial Behavior, was tucked into a pair of cutoff jean shorts that could barely be considered clothing.It wasn't even that they were too short--just that new holes were wearing through the myriad of patches that already decourated them.A collection of pendants dangled from her neck, without a single one matching either each other or the row of small silver hoops lining each ear.Purple socks peeked out from a pair of battered combat boots that, if such a thing were possible, looked to have seen even worse days than Duo's own.An Army surplus bag swung from her shoulder as she turned to greet him, her dark eyes lighting up with curiousity.

"Hi," said Duo, now quite confused.

"Hi," the girl returned."Are you Duo Winner?"

He nodded, and she grinned warmly, extending a hand."Cool.Nice to meet you.I guess I'm your new tutor...Meiran Ron."

****


	4. Heart with Strings of Steel

SAVE ETERNITY FOR ME Unknown User Normal Unknown User 1 0 2001-11-02T10:09:00Z 2001-11-02T10:10:00Z 5 2279 12991 DellComputerCorporation 108 25 15953 9.2720 4.5 pt 2 2 

SAVE ETERNITY FOR ME

by Ashura Nagisa

DISCLAIMERS:  Even if I save up my allowance for years, I will probably never own the characters of Gundam Wing.  The story itself and all original characters are mine.  It's a nice compromise, and in kindergarten I was taught to share my toys.

PAIRINGS:  1x2, 3x4, DxR, HxC, 13x11, 6x9, 5+?  (does not necessarily reflect seme/uke positions)

ARCHIVE:  Desolation Angels (http://www.dreamwater.net/ashura)

NOTES:  AU, Drama, Action/Adventure, Yaoi, Yuri, Het.   "Save Eternity for Me" takes place about one year after the epilogue of Niobe's Violets (two years after the bulk of the story).  Oz is in the hands of Treize and Une, and Romafeller has released almost entire control of the St. Gabriel School to Iria and the Winner Foundation.  Even Wufei seems to have recovered from the battle and Sylvia's death, and at the age of ten, Mariemaya is coming into her own Power at last....

[chapter four:  heart with strings of steel]

"No, look...you're adding too many steps.  Just add that to both sides and you're done, you don't /have/ to do all that stuff in the middle...."

There were several good reasons, Duo had decided, why Miss Noin had hired Meiran as his tutor.  The most obvious was that she knew /everything/...or at least everything he could find occasion to ask about.  Algebra, physics, literature, history—all the mundane sorts of things that he would have learned had he ever gone to school past the completion of the seventh grade—but more than that, he discovered, she understood most of what Treize or Une lectured on as well.  

They were huddled together at a round table in the otherwise-vacant library, books and notebooks scattered across the surface, most of which were covered in newsprint and Meiran's everpresent manga-style drawings.  They finished the math assignment and moved on to discussing Treize' (unfinished) unified field theory of magic, and Duo let out a long breath as he sank backward in his chair.

"I don't get it," he said flatly.  

Meiran cocked her head, questioning.  "Don't get what?"

"You," he answered, a grin breaking across his face at her surprise.  She'd been expecting another question on the material, then.   "I'm beginning to think /your/ Talent is learning things, but that doesn't explain why you don't have to go to school here with the rest of us!"

"Because I'm not a Talent," she answered honestly, whether or not he'd expected her to.  "Sorry...plain ol' human here, nothing special about me.  But the reason I know about this—" she gestured wildly with one bangle-draped arm—"is because my parents are.  They've got the Talents, I don't.  Didn't you know?  That's why Miss Noin's letting me do this."

That, Duo decided, did shed some light on a few things.  "Had no idea," he admitted, doodling eyes in the margins of the math assignment.  Miss Noin would hardly be offended by a few floating, disembodied eyeballs.

It was what Meiran had termed a "sketch break," and they took them frequently.

"So when do I get to meet your boyfriend?"  she asked, idly scribbling palm fronds around the faceless toga-clad form decourating the front of her notebook.  "I've been here every day for a week and you're still the only face I know."

"So stick around a bit longer," he answered.  "He'll come by when he's done with class, if you're still here you can meet him then."

She shrugged. "I'll try...I've got a piano lesson at four, though, so if he's not done soon I'll have to leave anyway." 

The sound of the library door opening, then slamming closed—it was a heavy oak door that tended to slam no matter how hard one tried to ease it shut—drew both their attention away from both conversation and disembodied eyeballs.  It was not Heero—that would have been too convenient—but Wufei, his head bent over a stack of books cradled in his arms.

"Well there's somebody now...hey, Wufei!"  Duo called, waving to get the boy's attention.  "Come meet my new tutor, Meiran.  Mei, this is Wufei Cha—"  He broke off, because neither of them were listening.  Wufei had frozen in place as if paralysed, wide dark eyes staring at Meiran as if she were some creature from another world.  And she, not understanding the hostility in his gaze, stared back in bewildered puzzlement.

Abruptly Wufei turned, and wordless, stalked out of the room.

Duo glanced from departing firestarter to his tutor in frustrated confusion, torn between duty to remain and see to Meiran—not to mention his homework—and the urge to run after and find out what the hell was wrong with Wufei.

The girl made the decision for him.  "I think I'd better go," she said wearily, slumping in her chair for a moment.  "I still haven't quite got the layout of this place, want to point me in the direction of the door?"

Duo nodded, leading her through the labyrinth that was the St. Gabriel Institute.  "It took me a while to get used to the place too," he mumbled reassuringly.  She just shrugged.

"I'll get the hang of it."  She looked troubled, gnawing pensively at her bottom lip, her stack of books cradled against her chest like a shield.  Still, she shot him a smile when she caught him looking at her with concern.  "Stop worrying, Duo, everything's fine.  Well, with me at least.  Might want to go check on your friend."

"Yeah," he admitted, "I was going to."  He ushered her to the door and they stood there shuffling their feet awkwardly for a moment.  

It was Meiran who broke the tension, hefting her books to redistribute the weight of them, and winking at him through flyaway wisps of black hair.  "Get going, huh?  Don't stand here all day, you've still got algebra to finish."  And before Duo could come up with a suitable comeback, she was already halfway down the walk to her bike.

Even once Duo could settle on hunting for Wufei, it took over a half hour to find him.  It seemed the firestarter had disappeared completely—not hard to do in a building with as many hidden places as St. Gabriel's, but disconcerting nonetheless.  

Duo would have simply decided that meant he wanted to be left alone, but his friend's abrupt reaction still puzzled him—and he was more inclined, at the moment, to believe that Wufei's absence meant there was something wrong that needed to be addressed.

Pausing in an alcove, he closed his eyes, his hands open, palm-up, at his sides.  It was a new power, or rather the application of it, and one he wasn't particularly practiced in, but his feet were starting to hurt from searching the old-fashioned way, so it was worth a try.  He relaxed his mind—which always seemed to feel more like relaxing his ears, when it came down to it—and "felt" about for the presence that was Wufei.   

He couldn't concentrate quite that well yet, so he also found out that Heero was in class with Cathy, Trowa, and Relena; that Dorothy playing the videogame again, and Hilde was outside with her dog.  Mariemaya was in the kitchen with the cook, and Wufei was—

What on earth was Wufei doing /there/?

Duo took a very long, deep breath, and headed for the basement door.

He hadn't been below in—how long had it been now?  A little less than two years, because they had all gone down together with the intent of cleaning out Sylvia's studio, since she was no longer there to require its use.  None of them had been able to bring themselves to actually move anything, and they had given up; thus the room had remained untouched as she had left it.

He eased open the door, his heart clenched almost to bursting in his chest.  He didn't think he was /afraid/, exactly.  It was more a reminder of too many things he didn't have the strength to think about.  And it worried him that Wufei had chosen this place as his sanctuary.

He expected dust, but there was none.  The room looked exactly as it had the time he'd seen it last, as if it were only mere hours ago that he had come rushing down to retrieve Sylvia for their final battle against the demon Dekim.  The box that had held her sword, now empty, was half-covered by scraps of paper and cloth, one end hidden beneath the battered table.  Scattered paint pots were left lidless, their pigments dried and cracking.  The stiff end of a paintbrush still poked out of one of them, waiting to be returned to use.  A sheet was thrown over half the sofa, and a heap of clothes had been kicked into a corner.

And Wufei perched on the back of the sofa, resting his chin in his hands, staring blankly into the air.

"Wufei?"  Duo ventured tentatively, letting the door swing shut behind him.  "Um...are you okay?"

The Chinese boy jerked out of his reverie, turning his sheepish gaze toward Duo.  "How did you know I was—never mind, I know."  He slid down the sofa-back to curl around his knees on the middle cushion.  "You may as well come in, then.  I...I keep the place dusted.  I haven't been able to bring myself to move anything yet."  A wry, self-deprecating grin, without a trace of humour in it.  "I don't even want to put her brushes away, so they sit there and get ruined, which isn't what she'd want at all.  She took good care of them."

Duo joined him on the sofa, sinking gingerly into the worn cushions.  "I just thought I'd come find you," he explained unnecessarily.  "You looked—well, the way you left the library so fast—"

"Ah."  Wufei's eyes closed as he let his head fall back, the syllable no more than a sad, weary exhalation of breath.  "I am afraid I was rude to your friend.  I apologise."

"It's all right.  She said to tell you it's okay."  It was close to the truth, at least, and Duo suspected it was at least partly what Meiran had /meant/.  "Want to talk about it?"

A shrug, then.  "I recognised her," came the flat reply.  "I—it was sudden—just a flash, when you called my name and I turned—I /knew/ her."  Apologetic half-smile.  "It kind of shocked me, I guess.  Next thing I knew I was running down here to think, but the truth is I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking /about/."

Duo shifted, making himself more comfortable, adjusting his weight away from where the spring beneath the cushion kept trying to poke through.  "Meiran isn't one of us, Wufei...her parents are, but she's not.  She's just my tutor."

Wufei snorted, opening his eyes at last to peer at Duo through narrowed lids.  "Like it's ever that simple when dealing with us?  You know better than that.  There are no coincidences."

Duo conceded the point.  "All right.  So who is she?"

Wufei huddled around himself, his gaze settling somewhere in the middle of Sylvia's cluttered table.  "I was married to her," he said miserably.

It was not the first thing Duo had expected to hear, and he hoped he did at least a passable job of concealing his surprise.  

"I didn't love her," Wufei continued hurriedly, refusing to give Duo time to formulate a response.  "Not at first, at least.  She was a daughter of the dragon clan—a cousin of mine.  Her name was Ying.  We were only married to give me legitimacy, being half human—we both knew it, and she resented me for it.  We weren't really happy, but we did our duty."  His voice took on a faraway note, as if he were only vaguely aware of Duo's presence.  "I think we would have grown on each other, given time.  I respected her, even liked her.  I think I was beginning to love her, deep inside."

"But she died," Duo inserted.  It was no real insight on his part—that was how all of their stories happened.  They all died.  

"I couldn't protect her," Wufei acknowledged bitterly.  "I wasn't strong enough—I was too human, in the end, incapable of even fulfilling such a simple duty as protecting my wife.  I was...exiled, soon after, and given refuge by the Khushrenada clan."

Tentatively, Duo reached across the sofa to squeeze Wufei's hand in his own, and lace his fingers through his friend's longer ones.  

An answering squeeze, and Wufei didn't pull his hand away, just let his gaze flicker to Duo with a sad, quiet smile.  "What was your friend's name again?"

"Meiran."

The firestarter nodded, assimilating the information.  "I'll apologise to her next time."  He sighed.  "It would have confused the hell out of me anyway, /knowing/ her like that, any time I'd seen her.  Even if I was...."  He faltered, unable to complete his confession, motioning around the room with his free hand.

"Even if you were over Sylvia?" Duo asked softly.

Wufei let out another long breath.  "Yeah.  Even if.  And I'm not.  I should be—I mean, we never did anything, you know?  I just looked after her when I could, tried to keep her from falling to pieces.  Most the time I wasn't sure if we were even friends.  But I've loved her for such a long time.  I loved her as Cassandra, but after I'd failed in everything else—I wasn't worthy of her.  At least I didn't think so at the time."  A short, bitter sigh.  "And I probably wasn't.  But now, being more modern and more human, I kind of think, who cares?  What's worthy, if you love somebody?  But it doesn't matter now, obviously.  And I look around at you and Heero, or Quatre and Trowa, or Dorothy and Relena—who were together before, and found each other again—and I think, well shit, that should have happened to me too, I should have gotten a second chance."

"But I don't, because she's dead, and even when she was alive she was insane."  His head dropped forward, hiding his face in his hands, Duo's fingers pressed against the warmth of his cheek.  "And I can't help thinking, maybe it's because of what happened before...maybe the reason I didn't get a chance this time around is because I was too much of a stubborn idiot to do anything about it the first time."

They sat there, fingers tangled, curled on the sofa, for what seemed like a very long time—in silence, because Duo couldn't think of anything to say, and Wufei had already said it all.  Duo found his eyes straying around the room again—to the walls this time, and Sylvia's macabre murals.  He'd avoided looking at them before, especially the unfinished portrait of himself that brought too much to mind his strike against the demon two years before.

But he found this time that the images weren't nearly as frightening.  He remembered being terrified by them, but now he only found them sad.  Sylvia had said they were pictures of truth, even if it was unpleasant.  

He kept looking back the image of himself.  She had never finished it, and it only lent to the feeling that this room had somehow been sealed so that time could not touch it—he found himself subconsciously waiting for a blonde wisp of a girl in a paint-spattered smock to appear from the shadows and start asking uncomfortable questions.

But she didn't, and the loss grew with each passing moment.

Duo finally broke the silence.  "If we don't go back, somebody's going to come looking for us."

Wufei nodded, letting go of Dou's hand as he rose.  "I still have research to do, and I believe you were in the middle of working on algebra."

"Or," Duo suggested dryly, "it's dinnertime, which I have no intention of skipping.  C'mon, Fei.  Five minutes with Hilde and you'll be totally distracted from this, I promise."

A slow but genuine smile spread across the firestarter's face.  "I think you're right."  He paused, just inside the door, his dark eyes serious again.  "Duo—thanks.  For coming to see if I was all right, I mean."

Impulsively, Duo wrapped him in a clumsy hug, and a moment later Wufei's arms raised to pat his shoulders tentatively.  "We gotta take care of each other.  Hell, nobody else is gonna do it.  So, ya know...if you need me another time or anything...."

A nod, wordless agreement.  Duo slipped out the door ahead of Wufei, giving the firestarter a chance to look once more around the quiet, timeless room.

****


End file.
